Macroevolutionary dissection of pattern-triggered immunity

Abstract:

Cell-surface-localized pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), are key sensors that detect microbe-derived and plant-derived molecules, making them central players in plant-microbe interactions. When activated, these receptors trigger what we call pattern-triggered immunity (PTI), a powerful defense mechanism that protects flowering plants against a wide range of pathogenic microbes. Yet, in non-flowering plants such as bryophytes and streptophyte algae, the presence and significance of PTI remain poorly understood. My group has been establishing the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha as a plant model for studying evolutionary molecular plant–microbe interactions (EVO-MPMI). In this talk, I will share our recent findings on the origin and evolution of PTI-related pathways. I will highlight insights from studies in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and streptophyte algae, with particular focus on lysin motif (LysM) receptors.

Publications:

Yan Y et al., Conserved role of the SERK-BIR module in development and immunity across land plants, Current Biology, 2025

Yotsui I et al., LysM-mediated signaling in Marchantia polymorpha highlights the conservation of pattern-triggered immunity in land plants, Current Biology, 2023

Melkonian K et al., miniTurbo-based interactomics of two plasma membrane-localized SNARE proteins in Marchantia polymorpha, New Phytologist, 2022